Press Release/Announcement

Errors in IV push medication use can cause patient harm. This survey seeks to gather data on how clinicians administer IV push medications to adults to clarify current practice and inform guidance. The process for submitting data is now closed.

Audiovisual

Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; September 10, 2012.

The near elimination of central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in intensive care units (ICUs) in Michigan stands as one of the landmark accomplishments of the patient safety field. Although the checklist for CLABSI prevention has been widely publicized, equally important components of the intervention included the comprehensive unit-based safety program (CUSP) and interventions to improve safety culture in participating ICUs. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality subsequently sponsored an effort to extend the success of the Michigan initiative nationwide, centered around implementation of the CUSP. The initial results, presented in this press release, indicate another remarkable success, with CLABSI rates being reduced by 40% across 1100 participating ICUs. It is notable that these reductions were accomplished even though the baseline rate of CLABSI was already lower than in prior studies. The developer of CUSP, Dr. Peter Pronovost, was interviewed by AHRQ WebM&M in 2010.